Farmer turns maze into real scare at night

SEVERING TIES: Rory Foley holds a prop from the Horror Maize Maze which has raised more than $12,000 for the South Canterbury Cancer Society.

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Getting people to wet their pants has helped a Glenavy man raise more than $12,000 for the South Canterbury Cancer Society and nabbed him a feature on TV One's Good Sorts.

Rory Foley has held the Horror Amazing Maize Maze on his farm in Glenavy for a second year and has been blown away by the support the maze has had over the past six weeks - but he has enjoyed the eccentricities also.

Mr Foley said he was inspired to raise money for research after seeing people with cancer tick off their bucket lists sky-diving, one of his passions.

"It's often the last thing they do before the inevitable happens.

"It made me want to help ease their suffering any way I could," Mr Foley said.

The maze, which runs as a normal maze by day, is by night turned into a horror extravaganza.

Actors from Mountainview High School and volunteers would be painted in special effects make-up, and dressed in bloodied costumes to hide in areas of the maze to frighten the people making their way through the dark fields.

Some people had even lost control of their bladders during the frights, he said.

Mr Foley said he is hoping to present the cancer society with the $12,323.22 raised this week.

Although last year he only had visitors from North Otago, and South Canterbury, this year he had people coming from as far north as Christchurch, and as far south as Winton, he said.

"They were saying it is the best one they had ever been to, which was a really nice feeling," he said.